Apparatus for retouching negatives



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THRON N. BERGER, OF ELGIN, IOl/VA.

APPARATUS FOR RETOUCHING NEGATIVES.

SPEGIFIQATION forrning part of Letters Patent No. 253,834, datedFebruary 21, 1882,

Application filed August 11, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, T. N. BERGER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Elgin, in the county of Fayette and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forRetouching Negatives; and I do hereby declare the following to he afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersor figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedretouching-negative machine, and Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view ofthe same.

This invention has relation to improvements in machines for retouchingnegatives, its object being to obtain by mechanism the motion forretouching the negative necessary to produce a fine stippled effect uponthe negative. Heretofore this has been done by vibrating thenegative-easel or the hand-rest, requiring the employment between thedrive-wheel and the easel or hand-rest of cams, crank-arms or levers,and belts and pulleys, which I dispense with.

To this end my invention consists in affecting the negative itselfdirectly by a roll or mechanism capable of imparting a vibratory motionto the negative, and in applying to the hand-rest an elastic holding-barfor the negative-plate, substantially as hereinafter more fully setforth and claimed.

In carrying out my invention I employ, as will be seen by reference tothe accompanying drawings, and as has heretofore been done, a frame, A,suitably supported at the desired elevation, and having hung therein amirror, B, the purpose of which, as is known, is to enable the salientfeatures of the negative to be well defined.

Hinged at one end to the base-frame A is the negative-easel O, which iscapable of being propped at the desired inclination by the pivoted propor props to a.

D is the shade, pivoted or hinged to the upper end of thenegative-easel, and propped in position by the pivoted props I).

(No model.)

E is the hand-rest, hinged or flexibly connected to the easel-frame O,and, unlike the common rest, is provided upon its under side with anelastic bar, ,0, for holding yieldingly the lower or one end of thenegative-plate, to permit, while securing in position that end of thenegative-plate, its partaking of the vibratory motion imparted thereto,as presently described.

F is a roll having any desired number of ribs or corrugations, orotherwise constructed, that will adapt it to act upon the negativeplateG, which rests thereon, as shown, so as to impart to it a vibratorymotion when theroll is revolved. With this motion, the operator holdinghis pencil or instrument in afixed position upon the negative, thusrelieving the hand of action, as practiced in the old way, the hand isnot only relieved of this tiresome motion, but the retouching of thenegative is performed with greater uniformity, thereby imparting a finerstippled elfect to the negative or picture. It will be further noticedthat the roll acting directly upon the negative, all cams, crank-arms orlevers, pitmen, and pulleys and belts heretofore employed for operatingthe negative-easel or hand-rest are dispensed with.

F F are bearing plates or straps hinged at one end to the upper side ofthe easel O, and resting upon the shaft of the roll F, and under theseplates may be made in the easel, at different intervals apart,bearing-sockets, to enable the roll to be adjusted according to thelength or size of the negative-plate to be operated upon.

The roll-shaft-operating pulley f may be driven by belt or otherwisefrom any suitable motor. Upon its shaft is also an emery-wheel, g, foruse as convenience may require.

A second elastic holding-bar, H, is connected to the hinged or pivotedhearing-plates F, and pressed by a spring or springs, g, fastened to theplates F, for yieldingly securing the upper end of the negative-plate.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- IOO to E, having theelastic bar 0, and elastic bar II,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 4. In aniaohiuefbrretouehing negatives, the

combination, with the uegativeeasel G and the roll F, of the pivoted orhinged bearing-plates F, covering two or more hearing-sockets in theeasel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THRON N. BERGER.

Witnesses:

S. O. CLARK, W. H. FINKE.

